Storytelling Tips

• Be yourself. You are the best and only person to tell this story. Without you, it won’t be told. Tell the story in your version, your style, your way.

• Trust your memory. Put yourself back in the moment. Remember how you felt, what things looked like, smelled like, how things and people sounded, what you were wearing, the weather, the space, etc. Recall and include some details (they can really draw an audience in).

• Get the overview.  This is no longer an experience, it is a story.  What’s the overarching reason for sharing it? Is there something you’d like people listening to understand, contemplate, or learn?

• Remember your audience. Tailor your story to flow smoothly, so it makes sense even if you weren’t there. Tailor your story to interest your audience, if you can, leaving out unimportant segues and explaining or avoiding jargon. Take time to explain so your audience understands. Have a specific beginning, middle, and end.

• Retell often. The more you tell your story, the more a part of you it becomes. Don’t worry that we’ve heard it before. Your story will change every time you tell it.

Listening Tips

• Clear your mind. Eliminate distractions that might keep you from hearing what the speaker is saying.
  

• Face the person. Make eye contact so the speaker knows that you are receptive to what she/he is telling you.
  

• Listen. Do not interrupt. Wait until the speaker invites you to ask questions.
  

• Acknowledge the speaker. Nod your head, smile or empathize in other non-verbal ways.
  

• Ask for clarification. Paraphrase what you have been told and ask if your perceptions are accurate.